Samoa's attorney general, Aumua Ming Leung Wai, has reminded the public of the harsher penalty for vehicular manslaughter, which now carries a maximum term of life in prison.
Under the old law, the Crime Ordinance of 1961, negligent driving causing death carried a sentence of not more than five years in jail or a fine not exceeding 2,000 tala.
But this year's Crimes Act has replaced and modernised the 1961 offence, and vehicular manslaughter now carries a much longer jail term.
Aumua says increasing road fatalities associated with reckless driving, and driving while under the influence of drink and drugs, prompted the change.
In the first 7 months of this year 12 people were killed in road accidents, with almost all cases involving drink driving.
